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en-usEngadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronicsCopyright 2017 AOL Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.https://www.engadget.com/2017/08/30/logitech-g603-and-g613-lightspeed/https://www.engadget.com/2017/08/30/logitech-g603-and-g613-lightspeed/https://www.engadget.com/2017/08/30/logitech-g603-and-g613-lightspeed/#comments

Logitech's ultra-low lag wireless peripherals are quickly expanding beyond mice. It's introducing two more peripherals that take advantage of its Lightspeed tech, including its first keyboard. The G613 (above) has the mechanical switches that many gamers prefer in a keyboard while offering the virtually undetectable 1ms latency inherent to Logitech's. If you combine this with a Lightspeed-equipped mouse, you're theoretically eliminating two wires without losing your edge in twitch-happy games. Thankfully, there's a new mouse on offer as well.

You might not have any inclination to buy a Surface Pro tablet if you're an iPad owner, but Microsoft may be happy to sell you the keyboard portion. WinFuture has noticed that Microsoft posted a battery document mentioning an unannounced iPad Touch Cover. The file reveals precious little about the peripheral, but its name harkens back to the Surface Touch Covers that Microsoft used to sell -- the emphasis here would be on thinness over the tactile feel of a Type Cover. The inclusion of a battery and the April timing of the document suggests that it uses Bluetooth and targets the entry-level iPad, although we're not ruling out a Smart Connector attachment for the iPad Pro crowd.

Microsoft revealed its Modern Keyboard and Mouse last month. Both are styled like the company's Surface devices and the keyboard has Apple-style "chiclet" keys and a sturdy aluminum frame. It also has a fingerprint sensor tucked in between the Alt and Ctrl keys for Windows Hello biometric security. The keyboard and mouse peripherals are now available for $130 and $50, respectively.

Both PS4 and Xbox One come with at least 500GB of storage, which seems colossal until one realizes each installed game typically takes up 40 to 50 gigabytes. Back in August 2015, hard drive maker Seagate released a 2TB external HDD specifically keyed to both Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Today, they've unveiled a new version that bumps up the space to 8TB and promises to work with every version of Microsoft's current-gen console -- including the upcoming Scorpio.

If you hate wires, but love typing numbers of a wide, expansive surface, then Apple has one more important hardware announcement for you. Among all the other news out of 2017's Worldwide Developer Conference, Apple has just released a full-size, wireless Magic Keyboard with a dedicated numeric keypad. Rejoice, untethered accountants, the dream is real.

Most mice are designed with the assumption that you'll pair them with one PC at a time. But that's just not realistic these days -- there's a good chance you have multiple systems. And Logitech thinks it can do something about this with its latest flagship mice. It's introducing the MX Master 2S (shown at left) and MX Anywhere 2S, both of which support new Flow software that lets you control as many as three computers with one mouse. You can even use that lone peripheral to copy files from one PC to the other, so this could be helpful if you want to flick a document to your laptop before you leave for coffee.

Microsoft didn't just limit its latest hardware introductions to the Surface Laptop -- there's a new (if familiar) mouse as well. The Surface Arc Mouse is an evolution of the well-established Arc Touch Mouse that takes advantage of several years of progress. Most notably, it's what you don't see that matters. The new Bluetooth peripheral still has that eye-catching, travel-friendly design that snaps flat for stowing in your bag, but there are no distinct left and right buttons, or even a scroll strip. Instead, a monolithic touch-sensitive button handles all those functions.

External battery packs are a dime a dozen, but you might want to pay attention to this one. Razer has unveiled the Power Bank, a 12,800mAh external battery designed primarily for laptops. It's clearly intended as a companion for Razer's own portables, and can extend the life of a Blade Stealth to as long as 15 hours. That's more than a little helpful if you're stuck traveling all day. However, its reliance on USB-C makes it compatible with any laptop that can charge using the newer connector. Yes, you could keep a MacBook running on this brick if you don't mind the style mismatch.

When I first encountered the Corsair Rapidfire K70, it was love at first sight: The feel of the brand-new Cherry MX Speed keys and their short 1.2mm actuation point was par excellence, and the RGB lighting gave me faint Candy Land vibes with its bright colors. However, while it was good for typing and many games, configuration fanatics were left out of the fun by the lack of dedicated macro keys. This month, Corsair finally added MX Speed keys to its flagship K95 model, but that's not the only upgrade gamers and typists will discover. The $200 K95 RGB Platinum features some redesigned buttons, a reversible wrist rest and a snazzy lighting bar. It's more of a refinement than a revamp, but it's one that makes the new K95 a flashy, yet somehow tasteful, addition to any desk. Yes, even with the colors.

If you bought a new MacBook Pro (or really, any Thunderbolt 3-equipped PC), there's a good chance that you're looking for high-capacity external storage that takes advantage of your system's newer, speedier ports. Well, you're in luck: As is its custom, LaCie is launching a pair of external drives that promise a load of extra space using newer interfaces. The centerpiece is the d2 Thunderbolt 3. While the hard disk itself is only slightly faster than before (240MB/s) and won't come close to saturating USB-C or Thunderbolt 3, the choice of connector makes it easy to daisy-chain other devices without sacrificing performance. You can hook up a 5K display, two 4K displays or five additional Thunderbolt 3 drives, so you may have to plug only one cable into your computer to power your entire setup.

Surfacecomputers (plus the Surface Dial) aren't all that's new at Microsoft's fall event. The company has quietly unveiled various Surface accessories, headlined by a Surface Ergonomic Keyboard. The wireless input device is effectively a cross between the earlier Designer Bluetooth Desktop and an ergonomic keyboard -- you get a more comfortable typing feel with quiet, low-profile keys. There's even a double-cushioned Alcantara palm rest (the same material you saw in the Signature Type Cover) that promises to be gentler on your hands even as it spruces up your desk environment. A pair of AAA batteries will power it for a full year.

There was no more exciting time to be a peripheral fan than 1999. For me, someone who loved the custom controls of the arcades, the Dreamcast was a fantasy come true. Its Visual Memory Unit (VMU) was a memory card with a screen that slotted into the controller -- and a micro-console in its own right. Games like Power Stone and Seaman let you load mini-games onto the VMU to play on the go, but more interesting was its dual-screen potential.

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dreamcasteditorialgadgetrygadgetsgaminggearnintendonintendoswitchperipheralssegaswitchvmuFri, 21 Oct 2016 12:20:00 -040021|21588911https://www.engadget.com/2016/10/17/razers-thx-purchase-means-cinema-approved-vr-and-laptops/https://www.engadget.com/2016/10/17/razers-thx-purchase-means-cinema-approved-vr-and-laptops/https://www.engadget.com/2016/10/17/razers-thx-purchase-means-cinema-approved-vr-and-laptops/#comments
Longtime cinephiles might be disappointed by the following news: THX will now operate as an "independent startup" under the Razer banner. Yep, the gaming PC and peripherals company. The cinema certification outfit founded by George Lucas will keep its management and employees (phew) and will continue to operate as it has for the past 33 years just under a new owner, according to a prepared statement. "With their focus on quality, design and innovation, Razer supports our vision to optimize and deliver the best audiovisual experiences to audiences worldwide," THX CEO Ty Ahmad-Taylor said in a canned press release quote.

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acquisitionavcertificationcinemaentertainmentgaminggeargeorgelucaspcgamingperipheralsrazerthxMon, 17 Oct 2016 19:04:00 -040021|21585253https://www.engadget.com/2016/10/10/olloclip-iphone-7-lenses/https://www.engadget.com/2016/10/10/olloclip-iphone-7-lenses/https://www.engadget.com/2016/10/10/olloclip-iphone-7-lenses/#comments
Now that there are new iPhones with revised cameras, many smartphone photographers are going to want new Olloclip lenses. Thankfully, they've arrived... and Olloclip didn't just tweak the connectors and call it a day. Its new Core, Active and Macro Pro lens sets not only have improved optics ("premium multi-element coated glass," Olloclip says), but an improved interchangeable lens system. Called Connect, it separates the frame on your phone from the lens housings. This lets them quickly attach to and align with your iPhone's camera, even if you have a screen protector. You should spend less time swapping lenses and more time shooting, in other words.

Logitech has been expanding its product line in several directions, moving up to pro-gamer gear and down to basic, yet robust, mice and keyboards. But it's also been moving beyond the desktop computer market, like buying wearables and sport headphone maker Jaybird back in April. Today the company acquired Saitek, maker of high-end simulation hardware, presumably to supply peripherals for the driving and flight genres. You know, the kinds of games you'll really want a specialty controller to play in VR. Whether this means the end for the custom controller Saitek was building for the upcoming Star Citizen is uncertain, as its new parent company wouldn't comment when asked by Polygon.

Gaming keyboards tend to be an either/or proposition. Either you get the fast action and feedback of mechanical switches, or you 'settle' for the relative comfort of membrane rubber domes. Razer doesn't think you should have to choose. It's introducing the Ornata, a keyboard series whose "Mecha-Membrane" hybrid promises both the soft feel of a membrane with the "crisp, tactile" input of mechanical switches. It's too soon to say how well it works in practice (you'd likely want to spend days with an Ornata to know it inside-out), but it's also rare to see keyboard makers experimenting this way -- it might be worth a look if you're uncomfortable with pure mechanical keys.

The iPad Pro's Smart Keyboard is arguably its main selling point, but it hasn't been much good if you aren't North American -- you've had to rely on a US English layout so far. Thankfully, you won't have to go through hoops to type in your native language after today. Apple has released versions of the Smart Keyboard in numerous languages, including many European languages (such as British English, French, German and Spanish) as well as Arabic, Korean, Thai and others. The keyboards you can buy depend on the store you buy from, so you can't just get one in the language of your choice. Even so, it beats having to use the on-screen keyboard to express yourself.

Pokémon Go isn't the only adorable-monster-hunting game to get a physical accessory -- Pokémon Sun and Moon will connect to the Z-Ring, a peripheral that lights up, vibrates and makes noises whenever players use special Z-Moves in the games. Z-Moves are new to the series; they're strong attacks that can only be used once per battle. A Z-Move unleashes the full combined power of the trainer and the Pokémon, and it's activated when the trainer has a Z-Ring (in-game) and Z-Crystals. If the trainer's crystals are the same type as the battling Pokémon's, then together they can use a Z-Move.

AMD said that the Radeon RX 480 would be followed up by lower-cost models this summer, and it's acting on that promise in a timely fashion. Both the RX 470 and RX 460 (not pictured above) are now slated to arrive on August 4th and August 8th respectively. While AMD hasn't outlined the specific pricing, these newer boards should cost significantly less than the $199 RX 480 -- the RX 460 should sit closer to the coveted $100 mark.

You probably don't see Incipio as more than the company who made your phone case or external battery pack. However, it's quietly becoming something of an accessory powerhouse: it owns brands like Braven and Incase. And now, it's getting even bigger. Incipio is paying $177 million to acquire Skullcandy, best known for its ostentatious (if not usually top-rated) headphones. The move not only gives it a dedicated headphone brand, but dips its toes into the waters of gaming gear thanks to Skullcandy's Astro Gaming badge.

To call Apple's Thunderbolt Display long in the tooth would be an understatement. It's so old that the first Retina display Macs were still a year away when it was new, and it's now easy to get a 4K display for less. At last, though, it looks like Apple might be ready to give its standalone screen an upgrade... with an interesting twist, to boot. Sources for 9to5Macunderstand that Apple is building a 5K display that includes its own graphics chipset. It'd be an odd move, but it would let many Macs use the display, not just high-end models. If your Mac's onboard graphics weren't fast enough, it'd automatically switch to the monitor's GPU.

NVIDIA's official GeForce GTX 1080 is fast, but let's face it: you're really waiting for the third-party cards that push the limits of what the high-end graphics chipset can really do. And it looks like your patience just paid off. ASUS has revealed the ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1080, and it pushes well past what NVIDIA's board can do. The regular Strix runs at a 1.76GHz base clock speed (with a boost to 1.9GHz) versus the reference model's 1.6GHz, and an overclocked version bumps that to 1.78GHz (boosting to 1.94GHz). You're only looking at a few more frames per second in your games, but that can make the difference between a glass-smooth 60 frames per second and the occasional hitch.

Did you look at SteelSeries' display-toting Rival 700 mouse in January and think it was just the edge you needed for your gaming exploits? It's time to do something about it. The company's Rival 700 is now available for a pricey (though not outlandish) $100. As before, its centerpiece is a side-mounted OLED screen that both shows data (such as your in-game stats or your team logo) and helps you tweak settings without firing up software on your PC. You can also 'feel' events through customizable vibrations, and swap optical sensors when you're eager for an upgrade. Is this overkill? Probably -- but there's no doubt that you'll have a distinct gaming experience.

Remember the Turret, Razer's living room-friendly mouse and keyboard combo? After more than a year of waiting, it's finally ready for action. Plunk down $160 and you'll get a pair of wireless peripherals (they work on both Bluetooth and proprietary connections) that are designed to be used in your lap. The keyboard has a lapboard that provides a flat surface for its high-precision, 3,500DPI mouse. The setup is primarily intended for a PC hooked up to your TV, but it has dedicated Android keys in case you're using a Google-powered set-top box. There are plenty of other couch-oriented combos out there, but this may be your best pick if you're determined to play first-person shooters and anything else that's particularly involving.

Find it nigh-on impossible to focus when writing on your computer? You now have a dedicated device to help you shut out the social networks and other distractions: after more than a year's wait, Astrohaus has started taking orders for the Freewrite (formerly the Hemingwrite). Plunk down $549 ($449 in the first 24 hours, or $499 through the end of March) and you'll get a smart typewriter that lets you cut out non-essentials while keeping the conveniences of modern tech. You only have an E Ink display and a mechanical keyboard to work with, but there's WiFi under the hood to sync your masterpieces with Dropbox, Evernote, Google Drive and other cloud services. You also have onboard storage for over a million documents, in case you're particularly prolific, and the 4-week battery life will keep it running through an epic-length camping trip.